This article examines three aspects of the generation and change of neologisms in Chinese and Korean from a cognitive linguistical perspective. First, it closely examines ‘metaphorical characteristics’ which are central to the generation of nelogisms in Chinese and Korean, and compares various metaphorical forms of nelogisms. Second, classifying ‘categorization’ of neologisms in Chinese and Korean by four aspects, and ‘lexicalization’ by two aspects, it analyses their characteristics and patterns. Lastly, it compares various forms of neologisms in Chinese and Korean which are constructed by four ‘semantic structures’, and shows common features, and differences between Chinese and Korean neologisms by three patterns in a cognitive cultural perspective.